Watching over You
by oxynclaire
Summary: When the Maou is not there, a human boy with the same compassion as Yuuri shows up and helps the Mazoku. Who is he and why would he do that? Takes place between season 2 and 3 of the anime.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I will never own Kyou Kara Maou (T.T)

* * *

**Watching over You**

_Prologue_

"Heika..."

A man stood on the seashore, gazing at the sparkling star in the sky above. His soul longed for the only woman he served in this world, his one and only Queen. The darkness surrounding him, coupled with the brisk wind intensified his loneliness even more. How long had it been since he travelled across the globe, just to reach out to the heart of his Queen?

His Queen had truly been a dedicated ruler of the nation. She had sacrificed much of her own freedom and desires. She loved the country just like how a mother would exchange everything for the safety and happiness of her child. It was so cruel when fate decided to play around with her life, as if ignoring whatever she had done to improve the country.

Few years after she ascended to the throne, the nation was endangered with numerous crises. The land had become infertile, clean water was no longer abundant, and the most important aspect of a country, the people, had started to lost their hope for survival. The moment the people gave in to despair, things would surely go downhill thereafter. However, the Queen was not of a weak spirit. She did not even think of giving up on reviving her nation.

The Queen along with a handful of brave soldiers began their search for what could grant life to their nation. They explored every single inch of land and sailed across the vast sea, just to find the one thing that would save the country. Even so, their courage did not stop fate from putting them through more and more ordeal.

At a point in time, they were attacked by merciless bandits. Another time, they were chased away by people who feared that they would wreak havoc. Soon their number was reduced into a group of less than ten soldiers as the rest of the people were killed while protecting the Queen. Those soldiers died in honour, but there was no one to weep for them or to pay respect for all their contributions.

Finally, during an attack where nobody was expected to survive, save for the Queen and her aide, the man was separated from the Queen. He had miraculously survived despite his grave injuries. Nevertheless, staying alive was no different from death for him because he could no longer see his Queen until this day. He continued his fruitless search, only to be consumed even more with grief. It was hard for him to appreciate his life when the meaning in it was lost.

Suddenly, there was a flicker of a brighter star in his view. Was it finally his opportunity to get a step closer to his wish?

"This is the chance. I swear I will definitely get back to your side, Milady."

* * *

Hello! I'm back with another Kyou Kara Maou fanfic!

I've put more thoughts on the plot and let's see how it turns out! :)

Get ready for the next chapter!


	2. The Wind

**Disclaimer: **Is there a way to own Kyou Kara Maou?

* * *

**Watching over You**

_The Wind_

It has been a few days after Yuuri left for Earth permanently. As much as the people wanted to celebrate for their victory over Soushu, they found themselves unable to enjoy a true happiness. How can they rejoice when the cost for defeating Soushu was that they would never be able to see their loved Maou ever again? Yes, they were still smiling, but their smiles contained a tinge of sadness.

One day, the Maou's advisors were visiting Shinou's Temple to check on how the renovation had been progressing and undeniably, they were also sort of wishing that maybe they could find Yuuri there. The restoration of the Temple was going well and in no time, it should be as good as or even better that before.

Reflecting upon the past did give people some happiness. At least, even if they could not see Yuuri physically and hear his voice directly, Yuuri still lived in their memories. That was a proof enough for his irreplaceable existence in Shin Makoku. They felt lonely without Yuuri, but they have a duty to fulfil: to maintain the hard-attained peace in Shin Makoku. They would not want if Yuuri came back by chance in the future to find his kingdom neglected.

On the way back to the castle, there was a familiar wind blowing. It was a really calming breeze, so gentle like Yuuri's heart. Looking up to the clear blue sky, the four closest people to Yuuri realised that it was as though Yuuri was back to Shin Makoku. They could tell that something was different with the atmosphere, but they had to convince themselves that there was no way Yuuri could be back even if they wished for it.

Three days after that, Yozak surprisingly returned back to Blood Pledge Castle after his supposedly escape from Anissina's reach.

"You're back already?" Conrart greeted Yozak as Yozak entered the meeting room where everyone was gathering.

Yozak did not reply back straightaway, instead he was scanning around the room, looking for something.

"What is it?" Wolfram enquired the orange-haired spy.

"Eeh... I thought Bocchan has returned..." Yozak muttered, still figuring out whether Yuuri had really not returned or Yuuri was just playing a prank on him by hiding.

"Huh? There... There's no way he can..." Wolfram could not finish his sentence as he was reminded again of his sorrow from parting with Yuuri.

"Ah... I'm sorry..." Yozak felt very bad for Wolfram because he knew the young prince had taken this separation the hardest, "I guess it's just my feeling then..."

Silence fell in the room as nobody was able to respond. They did not want to have a false hope, but they also did not want to admit giving up to the situation at hand.

"Well then, I shall take my leave now. I don't think it's already safe in here," Yozak smirked, hinting at Anissina's never-ending experiments, "Excuse me."

With that he went out of the meeting room, leaving everyone in wonder if the wind they felt some days ago was actually Yuuri returning to them. Was it really him? But where could he have gone to, if not the fountain at the Temple?

Within moments, another soldier knocked at the door. When Conrart opened the door, the soldier was apparently a messenger from Shinou's Temple.

"Ulrike requested for our presence at the Temple immediately," Conrart said as he closed the door behind him.

"Could it be?" Gunter stood up from his seat.

"I don't know..." Conrart answered, eyes deep in thought of what might happen.

"Well, let's just get going to the Temple," Gwendal spoke up, already heading for the door.

They arrived at the temple after few minutes and they were waiting for Ulrike at the fountain area when a familiar splash was heard.

"Geika!" Gunter exclaimed in shock.

"Welcome back, Geika," Ulrike appeared right at that moment, bowing in respect.

"Good to be back, everyone," Murata smiled to the still shocked and stunned crowd.

"B-b-but how could you?" Wolfram stuttered, face reddening from whatever emotion he had suppressed.

"Err... well... since Shibuya defeated Soushu, he gained power even greater that Shinou's. So in short, he is able to travel between worlds on his own now," Murata explained so smoothly like it was just an ordinary fact that all fish could swim.

"Then where could he be?" Conrart asked as he did not see Yuuri anywhere near the vicinity.

"He's not here?" Murata's smile faded the moment he noticed something wrong.

"No, he's not, Geika," Ulrike also looked rather disturbed, "and you were late for few days..."

"Few days?" confusion started to become more obvious on Murata's face.

"Well, let's get you dried first before we continue discussing this," Conrart stepped forward, helping the Daikenja to stand and handing him a clean white towel.

They were now in the cavernous chamber in the deepest part of the Temple, where the Genshin Miko would pray and listen to Shinou's voice.

"So Yuuri hasn't arrived here and there was too much delay in my arrival..." Murata began.

"Yes," Ulrike confirmed him.

"So what is going on here?" Gwendal questioned the only two people who seemed to know everything that was going on behind their backs.

"Well, Lord von Voltaire, Shibuya was supposed to arrive here few days ago together with me. But something's wrong such that he hasn't reach here and I arrived much later than expected," Murata told the group.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Wolfram was totally clueless on how to handle this problem.

"We much search for him. He could be trapped between worlds – which is very unlikely – or he might have landed somewhere else..." Murata concluded, "Ulrike."

"Yes, Geika. I have been trying to find him, but there is no trace of his presence," Ulrike gazed at her crystal ball with a serious face.

"In that case, I think will stay here first," Murata decided, "Please search for Shibuya discreetly. It will be bad if this news were to be spread around. In the meantime, we should resume our duties as per normal."

"As you wish," Gwendal replied.

With Murata staying in the Temple, everyone went back to the castle to begin whatever preparation they needed to find their King. They were glad because the possibility of Yuuri coming back was not zero, but they were also worried for his safety. Nobody knew where he was and although they could feel that Yuuri was in this world, they could not tell his location exactly.

'Yuuri, what have you gotten yourself into? Just after you defeated Soushu...' Wolfram wondered in his mind.

* * *

First chapter done!

This story might have shorter chapters, but there would be more chapters in it. So please bear with me. :)

Thanks a lot to my first reviewer, _jayfeather63_!

I feel so on, let me write another chapter today!


	3. Just a Commoner

**Disclaimer: **If I own Kyou Kara Maou, the anime would still be ongoing.

* * *

**Watching over You**

_Just a Commoner_

"Here, please send this as usual," a woman handed a basket full of freshly-picked fruits to a young boy, smiling to him sincerely.

"Alright, is there anything else I could help you with?" the boy offered as he took the basket carefully so as to not drop the contents inside.

"That's just it for today. Thank you so much," she patted his shoulder, "You should be resting after this. Don't force yourself to do too many things."

"I will," the boy nodded cheerfully, "I shall get going then. See you tomorrow!"

The boy left the woman to deliver some of the fruits they harvested today. He was working on a farm on the outskirts of Shin Makoku, helping the villagers with whatever he could afford to do with his rather weak physique. His willingness to give all he had to help others, his cheerfulness, and his very existence had added more colour to the mundane daily life of the farmers.

"He's such a nice boy," the woman turned to her husband.

"Yeah, it's good to see him so happy that way," he agreed as he stood beside his wife, watching the said boy disappeared from their sight.

"Maybe we could have him as our daughter's husband..." her voice trailed.

"Hush! If you do that, Stanley would probably never let him come to help us again," he said with a feigned seriousness.

"Haha... You're right. He would be consumed with jealousy," the woman laughed together with her husband as they recalled a certain over-protective friend of the boy.

* * *

"Leroy!" someone called him.

"Oh, Stanley. You're done with your work too?" he put a smile on his face as his friend ran to him.

"Yeah, are you?"

"I just need to deliver this. After that I'm done."

"Hand me that," Stanley extended his arms to take the basket from Leroy.

"It's okay. I can manage this. I'm used to this anyway," Leroy politely rejected his friend's help.

"Nah," Stanley ignored Leroy and just took the basket from his hands, started walking.

"Ah, hey!" Leroy walked briskly to catch up with Stanley, silently grateful for his help because in fact he was feeling sore from the extra work he did today.

"Thanks," Leroy muttered, walking alongside his only one close friend he had.

"No problem. You should just admit you're tired rather than letting it show of you paler face," Stanley commented.

"Ah, you know me too well," Leroy grinned sheepishly. This one friend of his had never failed to read him like an open book.

Soon they reached their destination and after making sure the consignment safely get to the receiver's hands, they walked home together. Along the way, they met people they knew and everyone waved or greeted them. They had started living in the village no longer than a month ago and were already well-loved by everyone.

Stanley was quite a contrast to Leroy. Stanley was a rather brash and passionate young man, whereas Leroy was a gentle and stoic soul. Despite his sturdy built, Stanley was actually a very soft friend who deeply cared for Leroy. He had sworn that he would let no harm come to Leroy ever since he met him not too long ago.

Stanley was just recently moved to the village he stayed now when one day, the villagers were musing about what to do with a boy they found. He quickly arrived at a small hut where some villagers were tending to what appeared to be an anguished boy. So this was the one the people kept talking about.

Slowly he stepped into the hut, eyes looking for an explanation of the scene in front of him.

"We found him yesterday near the forest. He was badly wounded and was crying hard. We didn't know what happened to him and we tried to ask him, but he remained silent," one elderly, sitting beside the boy's bed, told Stanley.

Looking at the boy who was still leaking tears from his cobalt eyes, Stanley felt something familiar in his gut. It was a pity that such rare and beautiful eyes were filled with grief. Staring at the boy was like staring at his old self, when despair had successfully took the better of him. Stanley did not have the heart of letting this young stranger experience the same suffering in loneliness that he had years ago. Soon he found himself reaching out for the boy in the hope of consoling him.

Gently gripping the younger boy's hand, Stanley talked to him, "I'm Stanley. Is... is there anything I could do to help you?"

The boy just looked up with his completely wet face. Stanley knew this look so well as he had have it before, the helpless look as if nothing in this world mattered to him anymore. It was the expression of someone who had gone through the bitterest part of life that nobody would be able to ease the pain he felt. However, Stanley also knew the one thing that might have the chance of saving this boy's heart: someone's company – the one thing Stanley lacked in the past.

Realising that the boy would never give him an answer, he just pulled the boy into a hug.

"You're not alone. I'm here. I'm going to accompany you for as long as you need," Stanley spoke softly, aware that the boy stiffened at his sudden action.

"Uh... I..." the boy mumbled; the first noise he made besides his sobbing.

"It's okay. Just let it go. I won't hurt you nor leave you," Stanley caressed the boy's head like his own little brother.

"You don't need to say anything," Stanley continued as he recalled that during the times he was alone, what he really wanted was nothing like the sorts of money or food or anything else. What he longed for was just a warm hug and someone's company. Now they were what this boy needed and he was willing to give it all.

After being stunned for few moments, the boy began crying harder, letting out everything he held inside though he had cried for who knew how long.

Stanley nodded to the people surrounding him, signalling that it was going to be okay and let him take care of things. The villagers understood well and started to vacate the room, allowing the not-so-stranger help the stranger.

They remained in that position for quite long before the boy calmed down and Stanley released his hug. He moved to take a glass of water for the choking boy.

"What's your name?" Stanley asked slowly.

"Leroy," the boy tightened his hand around the glass.

"Leroy, it's a good name. Feeling better now? Do you want something to eat?"

Leroy shook his head, looking down.

"You must be thinking that I'm such a weird stranger, suddenly hugging you like that."

"N-no, I'm not," Leroy answered with a raspy voice from crying for so long, "I... actually thank you for that."

Stanley smile, knowing his effort was accepted.

"Say, maybe we could be good friends?" Stanley glanced at the uncertain boy across him. Oh well, he must be confused as to why a stranger would be so nice to him.

"Well, I think I sort of understand what you feel because something very sad had happened to me before. Umm... trust me, I'm here to help you, Leroy."

"Thank you," Leroy's voice was small, but the tender smile he managed to put on his lips sparked a warm glow in Stanley's chest. Stanley did not know that the feeling of acceptance was so nice.

"You can always count on me. Just remember that you're not alone," Stanley smiled back.

"Actually, someone very important for me had sacrificed his life for me because I was so weak," Leroy opened himself up.

Stanley was caught off guard as he did not expect Leroy would become so trusting to a mere acquaintance like him.

"I didn't know what to do and suddenly I found myself here," Leroy frowned; he could not recall much of what happened in the past days.

"But I think that doesn't matter because I've got to move on, right?" Leroy smiled sweetly again, "I feel like I can trust you. It's as though this has happened before, but I just can't remember it. You will help me, won't you?"

For a moment, Stanley just gazed wide-eyed at the boy before him. They had barely spent half a day together and yet Leroy was already so trusting to him. There was an inner strength inside that small frail body.

"Ah, yes, of course I will," Stanley responded, breaking out of his dazed state.

Without any warning, Leroy bent forward, putting one hand on Stanley's shoulder, "I could tell you went through a lot too. Thanks for sparing a heart for me. From now on, I will also help you as most as I can."

That was the beginning of the brightest days Stanley would enjoy after years in the darkness of despair. Finally, he thought to himself, he had found a companion whom he can trust his life with.

"Stanley!" Leroy's slightly louder voice jerked Stanley back to reality, after he let his mind wander to the first time they met.

"Geez... Have you been listening to me? I don't want to repeat the whole thing I said, you know," Leroy pouted; a childish trait of him.

"Oh sorry... I'm so sorry. Can you repeat that just once?" Stanley apologised guiltily.

"Well, in short, I was saying that maybe one day the Maou would be able to unite humans like me and mazokus."

Now, that incited another emotion in Stanley, something like annoyance and denial, "And how would he be able to do so?"

"I don't know. I heard he made lots of breakthrough and he has this compassion for both races. It's really awesome. I wish I could do something great like that."

"Before you do that, I'll make sure nobody would hurt you even if it means my own life," Stanley's mood had grown dark in a split second, "You, a human and I, a half-blood, are just powerless people not even living inside the main territory of the Maou. Nobody would come to protect us during hard times. Just a commoner, like you and I, would make no difference to this world."

"But I still believed in that sort of future. The Maou would surely be able to make it happen one day," Leroy insisted.

"Yeah, see if that's the case when the Maou is rumoured to be missing," Stanley ended their conversation as he took a turn towards his hut.

Okay, that was new information for Leroy. His information network was nowhere as good as Stanley's if he even had one, but he was quite sure that nobody has said something as controversial as this. Such breaking news would surely spread around the country in no time, yet he had heard none of it.

What could a country be without the King there? Not just the King, but the best King it had so far all the more.

* * *

'Great Shinou...' Gwendal groaned at the looming migraine at the back of his head.

Weeks after the search for their Maou began, nothing came out. The aristocrats had been literally banging at his door, demanding for the King's whereabouts, fearing that he might leave the country for good. Could somebody just tell them to keep quiet? Indeed the Ten Nobles had fully acknowledged Yuuri and they trusted that Yuuri would come back for sure. However, some others were even more stubborn that Waltorana von Bielefeld could ever be.

Not only that, a childhood friend of his, the loud inventor who always considered him as a moniata – guinea pig – was not making life any easier for him. Anissina had successfully drained his abundant maryoku in minutes and made him drink some substance that he did not think it was even edible to begin with. The result was, he felt very tired all he wanted to do was to lock his room and sleep.

It was right at that moment that a soldier decided to knock at his office door rather impatiently.

"What is it?" he demanded while massaging his temples.

"Kakka, it's an emergency! It's reported that a group of rebellious humans are causing an outrage just outside the border!" the soldier reported with much urgency.

Alright, very good. Gunter was in no shape to go out there as he was wailing all around the castle. Wolfram and Conrart were not back yet from their search. Meaning, the only commander left here was him. That was so perfect! He could not even bring Yozak because Yozak was not even in Shin Makoku.

Standing up from his seat, he commanded the soldier, "Prepare my horse, I'll go there personally."

"Yes, Sir!" the soldier bowed and immediately left the room.

If only it was not because he cared so much for Yuuri, for Yuuri's unwavering love towards both human and mazoku, he might not even give mercy to those humans who dared to disrupt the peace in Shin Makoku. Nevertheless, he knew Yuuri would be really sad if he found out that some humans were just killed without being given a second chance. So just for Yuuri, he would try to be patient.

Gwendal reached the wrecked area with a few of his personal guards. The reported number of the rebels was less than twenty, thus a few soldiers should be enough to handle them without causing much commotion. What Gwendal failed to take into account was that right at that moment, his body started to go against his wish.

Dismounting from his horse, Gwendal found that the world was starting to spin. Gwendal grimaced, 'Right, am I going to lose to a few weak humans in my own territory?'

He rubbed his temple for a moment and unsheathed his sword, commanding his soldiers to seize the rebels without killing them.

All of a sudden, another group of thirty humans appeared from the forest nearby, readying themselves to attack Shin Makoku's army.

"Darn it!" Gwendal cursed to himself as his luck seemed like running out.

They started fighting and Gwendal was outnumbered. Though the humans were weak, their larger number proved to cause difficulties to Gwendal and his soldiers. Moreover, they could immediately tell that Gwendal, the commander, was not feeling well from his less deadly movements.

The humans managed to scatter the soldiers, drawing Gwendal furthest from the rest and making him up against five men. They knew the most dangerous one there was Gwendal. Once this one was taken care of, the rest should not be a problem. In fact, even in his weakened state, Gwendal was still able to knock down most of the rebels.

The enemy surrounded Gwendal and just as he was about to launch an attack on them, a sharp pain pounded his head and he fell on his knees.

Looking up at the humans raising their swords above his head, he just thought, 'Is this my end?'

* * *

Another update here!

Next week's gonna be busy for me. So I'll try to write as much as possible while I can.

Thanks for _jayfeather63_ (Why do we have such similar liking? I totally agree with what you said. Haha...) and _xanderoxx_ (who's silently supporting me ;p)!

Again, please drop a review if you like this story! Thanks and see ya!


	4. An Encounter

**Disclaimer: **Kyou Kara Maou is owned by me ... NOT

* * *

**Watching over You**

_An Encounter_

The sun was going down further into the horizon, casting a beautiful gradient of colours into the sky. Yet, Leroy was feeling uneasy. He glanced around to find that nothing has gone out of place. He continued to walk towards his hut which the villagers had been so kindly gave it to him for free. It was very small, but decent enough for him. Despite feeling more tired today and wanted to rest as soon as possible, Leroy found such a strong urge to travel a little bit further from his hut.

'I guess there's nothing wrong with checking the surrounding area,' Leroy decided, 'I can't sleep with such anxiety anyway.'

Diverting his way from his hut in front, he walked to wherever his feet brought him to. After some distance, he began to notice some noise ahead of him. What was that? It sounded so familiar to him, yet he could not tell what made such clangour.

Running a little, he could see some people standing and running, each holding a weapon in their hands.

'This is bad! They're fighting!' Leroy panicked as he saw daggers aimed at other people, swords clanging to another, and worse still; a man was being cornered by a group of people. Such unfair trick to win a fight!

Leroy was pondering of what he should do – either leave the area and tell the villagers to help or help the side under pressure himself; both were not a very good option – when suddenly he saw the man with a long dark grey hair dropped to the ground as the group surrounding him was going to attack the man.

Horror filled Leroy's eyes, he could not bear to witness someone cracked the man's skull open, killing the man. Without thinking, he dashed forward.

"NO!" Leroy yelled so loud that the attackers were surprisingly thrown away with an unseen force.

Leroy was standing in front of the man, his whole body trembling that he was surprised he could still stand straight. He was scared. Really scared. Never in his life was he involved in dangerous fight head-on. However, he could not just stand there and ignore an endangered life in front of him.

Gwendal looked at the small back of a young boy in front of him, protecting him from what he thought would be his end.

"S-stop it! I-I w-wouldn't let you h-hurt him!" Leroy stuttered, stretching his arms to shield the man behind him.

"Heh... What can a small boy like you do?" one man challenged Leroy, knowing fully that Leroy was no trained soldier.

Wasting no more time, one of the attackers rushed towards Leroy, aiming his sword at Leroy.

Leroy was too stunned to dodge the sword, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around him and swiftly moved his body from the sword's course.

For a second, Leroy was unable to interpret what just happened. He then realised the man he protected had actually helped him back.

"T-thank you," Leroy muttered.

"This isn't a time to be thanking me," Gwendal said gruffly. Why in the world was this reckless inexperienced boy so similar to someone?

"You should escape..." Gwendal's voice trailed as his migraine intensified, "Ugh..."

"A-are you okay?" Leroy kneeled in front of the pained Gwendal.

"Watch out!" Gwendal shouted as he again manoeuvred Leroy's body to safety.

"Ah! S-sorry! I'm sorry!" Leroy just apologised as his presence seemed to make things harder for Gwendal.

"You should know better to never ignore your enemies or leave your back to them," another attacker mocked at Leroy.

Darting a glance at Gwendal, Leroy knew Gwendal was in no condition to fight. Moreover, moving Leroy around seemed to worsen whatever pain in his head. There was only one course of action that Leroy could take: fight the attackers!

Getting to his feet slowly, Leroy took a fallen sword nearby. He was sure he had never touched a sword before, but the moment he grabbed the hilt of the sword, there was a familiar sense to it.

"Oi, what are you going to..." Gwendal asked Leroy as he somehow got into a ready stance to fight.

With few men already coming to him, Leroy answered with a determined voice he did not know how he managed to muster such courage, "I will protect you."

Leroy fought solely based on his instinct. He did not remember learning the art of swordsmanship. He just jumped around to dodge and tried to land some blows on the attackers.

As much as Gwendal was grateful for the boy, he became more aware that the boy was really rash in his actions. If Gwendal wanted to be harsh, he would say the boy was foolish. For Shinou's sake, that boy was holding the sword with the blade facing him! Was he trying to get himself killed? However, this was not a sparring match. Gwendal could not just shout and tell the boy of his mistake because breaking his concentration might cost his life. Well, Gwendal thought it should be okay for now because the boy seemed to be able to avoid injuring himself with his own sword.

"Why are you doing this?!" Leroy demanded in between short pants, he was getting more and more exhausted.

"Heh, why should we tell you, weakling?" a man snickered while continued to attack Leroy.

"This is wrong! You shouldn't just fight and kill someone!" Leroy avoided a slash and swiped his sword in turn. He had never fought before and once he fought, he was against five men.

"What do you know about us?" another man came, aiming his dagger at Leroy's arm and successfully wounding Leroy.

"Arhh..." Leroy stared at the stinging cut on his arms. He shuddered at how such a small cut could let so much blood flow in an instant, but he could not stop now.

"I don't know anything about you... but you should never take someone's life for granted!" Leroy plunged at two men, attempting to knock them down.

Gwendal could not move from his spot. It was such a shame for a commander to be protected by a commoner like Leroy, but he really could not afford to move anymore with the pain he had to endure.

The fight went on for quite long, unexpectedly leaving Leroy still standing – albeit unsteady and breathing with loud gasps – with two attackers knocked down. It was then a voice brought relief to Gwendal.

"Gwendal!"

"Aniue!"

Conrart and Wolfram galloped side by side, coming to their brother's rescue.

Conrart skilfully dismounted from a full-speed horse, landing beside his kneeling brother.

"Are you alright? I've heard everything. It must be hard with Anissina."

"Ah," Gwendal just nodded slightly, "More importantly," he pointed towards Leroy.

"He... saved you?"

"Just help him! He's cornered already!" Gwendal said, sensing the boy could collapse any moment now.

"All ye spirits affiliated with flame obey this distinguished mazoku who hath slain the Soushu!" Wolfram cast his fireballs at the three thugs surrounding the helpless boy.

"W-what?" the three men were shocked at the sudden coming of fire at them, "Aaaaahh!"

The fireballs burned their clothes and the heat made them dropped their weapons.

Strangely, the boy was also screaming as he put one hand on his head and another over his chest.

"Wolfram," Conrart faced the blond prince, enquiring for the meaning of the scene before his eyes.

"I didn't attack him. I don't know what hurt him," Wolfram replied, rather confused himself.

Leroy felt as if his body was being burned alive. He could see the fire was nowhere near him, but the pain seared across his whole body. Soon, his world faded into darkness and he could feel himself dropping to the soft grass beneath him.

After the situation was settled, with some people fleeing away or get arrested, the three siblings now stared at the wounded boy lying in front of them.

"What should we do with him?" Wolfram asked, knowing that the boy was a human.

"Bring him back to the castle. Give him a proper treatment for his wounds," Gwendal responded short.

Conrart was eyeing the boy carefully. Leroy's unconscious face reminded him of his missing Yuuri. Secretly in his heart, he wished that Yuuri would be safe wherever he was. He could not bear seeing Yuuri hurt anymore.

* * *

Pretty fast for a chapter!

I feel so excited myself to write this story! Share your thoughts by reviewing too!


	5. Reminiscence

**Disclaimer: **In my dream, I own Kyou Kara Maou... In my dream...

* * *

**Watching over You**

_Reminiscence_

'Such a warm and soft feeling... Was my bed this fluffy?' Leroy tried to guess the comfortable touch on his back.

Upon hearing a soft grunt from one of the few patients, the green-haired healer came to his side immediately, expecting him to wake up shortly. True enough, clear bluish-green eyes met hers and she smiled.

"Ah, you're awake. That's really good!" Gisella greeted still dazed boy.

"Uh... You are...?"

"I'm Gisella von Christ. I worked here in Blood Pledge Castle as a physician. Are you feeling better?" Gisella assisted the boy to sit properly and fixed some pillows behind his back for support.

"Y-yes... Thank you... very much," Leroy said shyly. He was never good at interacting with strangers and he could only be himself with Stanley.

"Say, what's your name?" Gisella asked again to break some awkwardness the boy felt.

"Leroy."

"Okay, Leroy, I think it's best for you to stay here for another day. You were not injured that badly, but your physical condition is not well yet. So I'd like to monitor you until you recovered for real."

"O-okay..."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"No, it's fine."

"Where do you live?"

"Near... the west border."

"With your family?"

"N-no."

"Here's a tea if you feel uncomfortable and just call me if you need something. I'll be over there tending other patients," Gisella smiled as she moved fast to the other side of the room where another patient called for her.

"Thank you," the boy just looked down at his cup of tea.

'Such a cute boy,' Gisella thought. If he was not a patient, Gisella might get irritated in no time with his one-liner answers. Even so, Gisella understood that the boy meant no harm to her. He was just a shy young boy.

"Ano..." Leroy mumbled when he saw Gisella finished helping other patients.

"Yes? What is it?" she walked over to Leroy.

"Umm the man... with green uniform... long hair... Is-is he okay?" Leroy stammered.

"Oh you mean Gwendal? Yes, he's perfectly fine now. Just needs a little bit of rest before he's back to normal," Gisella answered with her smile never leaving her face.

Leroy thought Gisella reminded him of someone, though he could not tell who it was.

Somebody knocked the door and a fine man in brown uniform appeared.

"Conrart! He's just awoken few minutes ago," Gisella turned to let the man get a view of Leroy.

"Thank you, Gisella," Conrart took a seat beside Leroy, Gisella left to give them some space.

"I'm Conrart Weller. Thank you so much for helping my brother. He's still resting now, so I come in his stead," Conrart started with his gentle smile.

'Woah...' for a moment, Leroy was amazed at his bright smile, 'Like a father...' then again, Leroy had no memory of his father to begin with.

"I'm Leroy," he spoke in a volume barely louder that a whisper.

For a moment, it was so awkward again for Leroy. He could sense Conrart was like boring into him, taking note of every single delicate feature of his.

"Umm... actually... I feel uncomfortable staying here," Leroy confessed to Conrart as he felt something weird grew intense in his chest.

It was a short yet a powerful line which managed to attract the attention of both the healer and the brown-haired soldier.

Realising the implication of his words, the boy faltered, "Ah, I mean... I mean the place is really nice... and you have treated me very well... Oh and the tea was also nice... b-but... ah..."

Conrart chuckled at the self-panicky boy, "It's okay. We know you didn't mean anything bad. So just tell me what's wrong?"

"Ah..." Leroy could feel the warmth creeping up his cheeks. He had just embarrassed himself in front of strangers, he wanted to dig a deep hole and bury himself in it.

"Don't mind. Just say it," Conrart encouraged the boy. If he were an animal, Gwendal would probably hug him and run away with him. He was so cute.

"Uh... there is this weird feeling in my chest, but I know it's not because of any injuries. I-I just think I would get better if I leave the castle..."

"Really?" Conrart asked Leroy for confirmation.

"Hang in there for a while. Let me check up on you," Gisella commented as she used her maryoku on a patient.

Seeing the green glow, Leroy suddenly felt very sick and he braced himself. Conrart grew concerned for Leroy and he motioned to Gisella to come over fast.

"How are you feeling?" Gisella kneeled beside the shuddering Leroy.

"It's... It's really weird..." Leroy did not even open his tightly shut eyes.

Gisella was about to use her maryoku when suddenly Leroy burst out, begging, "No! Please... please stop that!"

Gisella was confused. What did she do? She was just going to examine him like how she would usually do.

"Please..." Leroy coughed something to his hand.

To Conrart's and Gisella's horror, it was a crimson fluid none other than blood.

"T-that green... glow..." Leroy croaked as he coughed even more.

"Gisella!" Conrart was really worried for Leroy now. It was so unusual for human to have a harsh reaction near maryoku, just like how a full-blooded demon would have when they were near a strong houseki. This was worse though, because Conrart had never seen any demon coughed blood in the presence of a small houseki, not to mention it was only for a brief moment.

"Here, please inhale this," Gisella handed a mixture of herbs to Leroy.

Leroy shakily took the small phial and breathed slowly, suppressing more coughs from coming out. He was also frightened the moment he saw his own blood.

After Leroy's fit ceased, Gisella gave him a warm damp towel to clean his mouth and hands.

"T-thank you... I'm sorry... for this," Leroy looked at the mess in front of him. His clean white blanket was flecked with red dots.

"It's okay. Don't mind that. More importantly, just rest for now," Conrart assured the boy.

"N-no..." Leroy muffled; pain in his chest as he had coughed harshly.

"I need to leave," Leroy pushed his blanket aside, getting down from the bed to stand up as his knees gave way.

"I insist that you rest here a bit more," Conrart caught him in an instant.

"We could prepare a separate room for you so that you won't get in contact with maryoku. Just rest here first. It would do you no good if you collapse on your way home," Conrart persuaded Leroy. He did not have the heart to let this weakened saviour of his brother be alone.

"Please, will you? Let us do something to repay your help," Conrart said again, guiding Leroy to sit back on his bed.

"O-okay..." Leroy finally agreed. The people here had done so much for him. He should not bother them even more by resisting their kindness. The more he disagreed, the more offers they would make, the more trouble he would give. So for now, let's just follow what they wanted.

As they waited for another room to be prepared for Leroy, Conrart figured out a possible reason for Leroy's reluctance to stay in the castle.

"I suppose, you don't feel comfortable staying around mazokus, do you?" Conrart guessed.

Leroy was surprised at his remark, "No, it's not like that. Why would you say so?"

"You're a human and it's not unusual for human to dislike mazoku."

"That's ridiculous," for the first time, a strong word came from Leroy's mouth, "What's the difference between human and mazoku anyway? We're the same living being and nobody should hate another's existence. We'll never know when we'll need other's help."

"I love both human, mazoku, and even those people called half-breed. They're all living being who deserved love and compassion. It was just my own perception that I felt rather unwell here. No relation to what you said at all."

"Oh..." Conrart responded with a relieved smile, "I'm glad to hear that."

A maid came into the room, telling them that Leroy's room was ready. Conrart led the way to Leroy's room and left him to rest afterwards.

Closing the door, Conrart saw Gisella coming on his way.

"He's so similar to Heika, isn't he?" Gisella mused.

"Yeah. He would make a good friend for Yuuri," Conrart nodded.

"It's been weeks. I realise I miss him a lot."

"I think the whole castle feel the same as you. Let's just hope that he is safe somewhere in this world."

"Yes, I hope so."

Together they walked down the corridor, remembering a certain Maou who had done so much for them. Undoubtedly, a short interaction with Leroy made them recall about Yuuri, about his passion in uniting the world. The moment Leroy talked about his belief, his eyes lighted up, sparkling with a strong determination, like Yuuri's eyes. They wished that maybe one day Yuuri could meet up with Leroy and share their vision for the world. Together, there would be more things they could do.

* * *

I can't believe I finished this so fast! Double release for all my readers!

As promised, I've tried to write as much as possible. After this chapter, expect the next update in about two weeks. I'm so sorry for the long delay, but yeah, can't help it. :(

See you next time! :)


	6. A Plan

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kyou Kara Maou even if I want to.

* * *

**Watching over You**

_A Plan_

"Ah, there it is. My hut is just over there," Leroy peered out of the carriage window, his indigo hair blown by the gentle wind, "Thanks a lot for your help, Sir Weller. I think I can just walk from here."

"Sure. Oh since it's already quite near, we might as well drop you there," Conrart who was sitting across him smiled.

"It's okay, really. I don't want to bother you anymore. Besides, an exclusive carriage like this might attract too much attention," Leroy reasoned with Conrart.

"Well, I'm sure the villagers recognise this carriage is from the palace. So it shouldn't be a problem. They would know that I'm just sending you home."

'Precisely that's the problem. They might question what I'd done until an elite commander had to send me home...' Leroy mentally sighed, deciding to give in to the soldier's will. After several times losing to the silver-tongued man, it was a wise decision to save energy and obey him. More importantly, Leroy had come to trust Conrart having no ill will.

Approaching his hut, Leroy saw some people standing in front of it, seemingly waiting for him. As soon as the carriage stopped, he nodded to Conrart and came out.

"Leroy! There you are! I was so worried for you. You didn't come for work, so I thought something might have happened to you," one woman got to his side in an instant.

"Huh? What's with the bandage? Are you hurt?" another woman came.

"Oh my, what happened to you? Poor boy," the third woman cooed Leroy, patting his back softly.

"Eh? You came with a carriage? Isn't that like a royal carriage?" apparently even the men were curious of what happened to Leroy.

"Waah, Leroy got a chance to ride in a carriage! Awesome!" now even the kids were there, eyes glittering with excitement.

"Ne ne, I want to ride it too!" a girl with ponytail tugged at Leroy's shirt.

Leroy was overwhelmed by the villagers bombarding him with questions and not giving him a chance to answer. Even though he was happy that they cared so much for him, he did not feel so comfortable being the centre of attention. Again, he mentally sighed, 'Now do you see the problem I meant just now?' glancing at Conrart who just stepped down from the carriage.

Conrart met his gaze and just smiled at him. Leroy did not know whether Conrart got his message or was just happy that so many people visited him.

Noticing Conrart's presence, the villagers moved one by one to him. Commenting at how handsome he was, saying how they admired him, enquiring about what made him come to the village – since the village was not a prominent one, just a village with humans and half-bloods – and even asking unrelated questions such as how many swords he had. Leroy pulled a smile on his face, enjoying the view of Conrart's turn to have intensive interview.

"Leroy!"

"Oh Stanley!" Leroy looked at his friend emerging from his hut.

"Where-" Stanley did not finish his sentence as he noticed bandages on Leroy and he immediately took Leroy's bandaged hand, "What happened to you?"

Seeing his friend's worry, Leroy replied, "Oh it's nothing. I just got scratched a bit."

"You call injuries requiring bandages scratches? What in the world did you do? Do you know how worried am I?" Stanley's voice rose with concern.

"I-I'm sorry..." Leroy flinched; he knew Stanley would be upset at him for leaving without any notice.

"Don't apologise! You should know how to take a better care of yourself!" Stanley reprimanded his friend who was prone to getting himself into troubles.

"And why is this man here?" Stanley referred to Conrart who had somehow managed to break free from the crowd surrounding him.

"Ah, this is Sir Conrart Weller, a commander of Shin Makoku's army. He's been helping me," Leroy introduced Conrart, doing the same for Stanley, "Sir Weller, this is my good friend Stanley."

"Nice to meet you," Conrart smiled at Stanley.

Stanley just retorted with an uninterested face, "I already know him."

"Stanley!" Leroy was clearly not pleased with how his friend treated Conrart. Conrart had been so nice; it was so embarrassing to have Stanley despise him right away.

"If there's nothing else, let's go in before you catch cold. It's a bit windy today. You better rest now," Stanley walked into the hut without sparing Leroy and Conrart a second glance.

"I'm very sorry, Sir Weller. He didn't mean any harm," Leroy bowed deeply before following Stanley inside, "Please excuse me."

"It's okay. I understand," Conrart reassured the boy, recalling about someone in the castle who was hiding his care by being silent and stern. Surely, Leroy must mean a lot for Stanley, for him to be so protective of Leroy.

Conrart stayed around for a while. He was checking on the villagers, whether they need any assistance from the castle or if they wish to have their opinions to be heard.

As both Leroy and Stanley watched Conrart interacting so freely with the villagers, Leroy thought that maybe Conrart would be able to touch Stanley's cold heart that was filled with hatred for those in power. For sure, Leroy could not put himself in Stanley's shoes because he did not feel the discrimination the half-blood had experienced. Yet, he heard that Conrart, a half-blood as well, was able to overcome those prejudice. So maybe, maybe Conrart could save Stanley.

"He's a nice man, isn't he?" Leroy asked Stanley, referring to Conrart who was currently playing with some children.

"Huh? That's should be expected, right?" Stanley said as he put two cups of tea on the table and took a seat across Leroy.

'By right, I'm the host; but he's the one serving me drinks...' Leroy thought.

"Sir Weller is also a half mazoku half human, you know. I think it's really great that he is acknowledged by both mazoku and human. On top of that, he doesn't seem to have... umm... strong dislike to either race," Leroy continued.

"Heh... That's likely because he's the son of the previous Maou. Someone surely brainwashed him until he became so submissive towards the unfair treatments he received."

"You think so? Why? I don't think he is just being submissive," Leroy was sad that Stanley was as hard as a diamond for this matter. No matter what Leroy said to him, he still held on to his belief that there was no way human and mazoku would accept one another.

"In the past, Sir Weller had to prove the innocence of both him and fellow half-blood by fighting a suicidal war. Do you think he wasn't brainwashed back then? For the world's sake, he was a top student in the military academy. I'm sure he's not stupid enough to go for a sure loss war," Stanley explained.

"But he won the battle, right?" remarked Leroy.

"Yeah, with so many lives sacrificed. Yet, he could still accept everything willingly," Stanley added on.

"Stanley," Leroy called his friend who looked like he was drowned further by his own view, "Don't you think that hope does exist in this world? Can't you see that hope brings about change in life? I'm sure Sir Weller wasn't brainwashed. I believe he did not go to that war to die, but he fought carrying his hope for the future generation."

"And what change has happened?" Stanley challenged Leroy, "I've seen nothing, Leroy. Not one ever since I was born in the Nameless Village."

"You're way too positive, Leroy. Too kind and naive to understand the real hardships in life," Stanley stood up, taking the now empty cups to wash them.

'Ah, I'm the owner of the house and he's the one washing the cups...' Leroy thought again, 'Maybe this is the reason Stanley considered me so helpless, I couldn't take action fast enough.'

"Ja, I shall leave you to rest. No more depressing talk, okay?" Stanley slipped a smile as he turned around to face Leroy, "You always have that solemn face whenever we talk about this kind of thing. I don't want to make you sad by having such conversation."

"Uh, I'm sorry," Leroy gave Stanley a wan smile, muttering, 'It's not the talk that makes me sad; it's your heart.'

Before Stanley left, he looked back once again, saying, "Oh, I'll do your share of work for today and the next two days. So you just rest, okay? I don't want to see you walking around the village."

"Yes, Mummy," Leroy answered plainly as he climbed his bed. Stanley was getting into his over-protective mode.

"Hey, I'm serious!"

"Yes, yes, I'm going to sleep now."

"Okay, good boy," Stanley grinned in satisfaction and left. He considered Leroy as an important person for him because Leroy was the only one who can understand and accept him fully, though Leroy did try to change some of his mindsets.

The moment Stanley stepped out of the hut, the upward curve on his lips faded, replaced by a deep frown. He was remembering those moments he hated the most in his life.

Stanley was born in the Nameless Village; a neglected village governed by neither human nor mazoku country. During his time, he suffered a hard life. Starvation was a daily bread and nobody could do anything. Geographically, the village belonged to Shin Makoku, but there did not seem to be any acknowledgement from the government.

He lived there until one day he decided to leave the village after his family was murdered by bandits. He was so upset at whoever was in power at that time because they did not do anything to help. After days of depression, he decided to travel around the world to find a way to raise the status of half-blood like him. He refused to believe in equality, but instead he wanted half-blood to achieve higher status than pure-blood.

Stanley was ready to do whatever it took to achieve his goal. He believed that all those who had power, had always been abusing them. He believed that all chaos was caused by the higher-ups. Commoners were always the victim, thus it was time for him to change that.

Yes, he would change that for sure! He would protect fellow half-blood with his life!

* * *

In the darkness, it was so suffocating. He felt like he was floating in an empty space. Yet somehow the air was so thin and his body seemed to be compressed forcefully. He could not move although his limbs were not numb. All he could do was to lie there in the nothingness.

He wanted to speak, to call out for someone who could help him, but no voice came out. The only thing escaping his throat was a low gagged sound which he was sure nobody would be able to hear it. Not only that, he now realised that he did not know who to call.

Everything seemed blank. There was nothing. He only had consciousness, no more than that.

'Where am I? What happened?' drowsiness started to engulf him again.

'Who am I..?'

* * *

"Yo, Leroy!" a loud and cheery voice started a new day for Leroy.

"Umhh..." Leroy shifted slightly on his bed and curled deeper into his warm blanket.

"Wake up!" the characteristic voice of his friend became even louder as he approached Leroy.

"Five... more minutes..." Leroy mumbled. He was never a morning person and since Stanley said he did not need to work, he thought he could indulge himself with few more hours of sleep.

"I don't care! You've got to wake up now! You need to eat!" Stanley was getting impatient. For a second he considered jumping onto Leroy to shock him, but the moment he remembered Leroy's wounds and frailty, he dismissed the idea. He had better things to do than crushing his friend's bones.

"..." no response from Leroy.

'Okay, you're really testing me, huh?' Stanley thought mischievously, hands on his waist as he smirked at Leroy.

Slowly creeping and guessing where Leroy's sides might be, he feigned a snarl, "I'm telling you... WAKE. UP," and there he went tickling his friend.

"Aaahh!" Leroy screamed, desperately struggling to get out of Stanley's firm grip, "Stop, stop!"

"Alright! I wake up now! Alright!" Leroy threw his blanket, trying to catch his breath in between gales of laughter.

Satisfied that there was no way Leroy would go back to sleep, Stanley released his hands and walked to the dinette.

"Seriously... Can't you be gentler?" Leroy complained as he arranged his bed.

"Nah, in this case I can't. That's the only way to wake you up," Stanley remarked, already preparing some food for Leroy.

"Here, now eat. I don't have much time before I need to go to work," Stanley put a plate of sandwich in front of Leroy.

'Woah... certainly, Stanley's survival skill is unrivalled. I think I might end up eating plain breads today if he didn't come,' Leroy was admiring his appetising food.

"I'm telling you..." Stanley began again, snapping Leroy out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Mother, I'm eating!" Leroy took a slice of sandwich and ate it quickly, ending up choking.

Leroy was coughing, hands desperately rambling to find his glass of water.

"Here," Stanley handed him his glass and he gulped the water in seconds.

"Geez... you're so helpless..." Stanley commented, taking his last piece of sandwich.

"Ahaha..." Leroy just scratched the back of his head and laughed shamefacedly.

After they finished eating, Stanley left for his work and Leroy's work. Leroy could not be more grateful for such a nice friend he had. Though Stanley was often too temperamental, Leroy was sure that Stanley never bore grudge against him. He knew Stanley cared so much for him to the extent of being over-protective.

The next day had gone in about the same way as today. Stanley would come in the morning to have breakfast together and then came back for lunch and dinner. Mostly, it was Stanley bringing or preparing the food because Leroy was no good in the kitchen. However, for the next day's dinner, Leroy decided that it was his turn to prepare the food.

"Hmm... not bad. Your cooking has improved. A bit," Stanley told Leroy who was washing the dishes.

"Hmph..." Leroy pouted, showing he was unhappy about the last part of Stanley's words.

"I'm just kidding," Stanley put his arm across Leroy's shoulder, knocking Leroy's head lightly.

"So tomorrow I'll start working again. Thanks, Stan," Leroy wiped his wet hands.

"You sure, you're okay already? I don't mind doing your job again tomorrow since it isn't so much," Stanley gave Leroy an appraising look.

"Yep, I'm really fine now. Besides, it's so boring doing nothing here," Leroy replied with confidence.

"Okay then," Stanley smiled; this one friend of his was never good at staying still.

"By the way," Stanley's tone was getting more serious, "I have a plan. I'm thinking of going to Blood Pledge Castle."

"Eh? What for?" Leroy did not expect this.

"I want to check on the Maou."

"Huh? Why?"

"I still can't believe that he is such a nice person. I need to see him myself and talk to him. If necessary, I will even challenge him to prove to me that he is doing something for people like me. If he's indeed that kind, he will surely listen to me and raise the status of half-blood. After all, isn't the Maou's words a law to the country? There's soldier recruitment going on and I think this is the right opportunity."

"You shouldn't do that..." Leroy softly rejected his friend's idea. He knew Stanley wanted to make a change, but he did not think it was the right way to take advantage of someone's kindness. Forcing the Maou to do this was no different than abusing his power. However, Stanley was too deep in his ambitions.

"Why shouldn't I? Do you think there's any other way?"

Leroy could not answer Stanley. He just bowed his head, not wanting to meet Stanley's hard gaze.

"Well, I'm going tomorrow. I'll make sure to come here once everything is settled. So take care until that time, Leroy," Stanley ended their conversation, patting Leroy's shoulder gently before walking out of the hut.

'I wish... someone could soften your heart,' was all Leroy could hope while watching Stanley's back disappear into the night.

* * *

Hello! I'm back! Still quite busy, but will be able to write bit by bit!

_Jayfeather63_: Hello! Thanks for sparing a time to read and review my story! Hehe... Really happy for that. :D All the best for everything you're doing now! :)

For my readers who have been waiting for Yuuri's appearance, he will appear in a few chapters ahead because now I need to write some background for Leroy and Stanley first. But don't worry! This story is still centred on Yuuri! Just that it takes some time before he appears! Hope you can bear with me!

Ja ne! ;)


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